Foot corrective member



Nov. 6, 1956 H. WHITMAN 2,769,253

FOOT CORRECTIVE MEMBER Filed June 26, 1953 w-nrfi ifiiflffixmtm. j 20 United States Patent FOOT CORRECTIVE MEMBER Hyman L. Whitman, deceased, late of East Bridgewater,

Mass, by Tina I. Whitman, adminislratrix, East Bridgewater, Mass, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 26, 1953, Serial No. 364,239

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-71) This invention relates to a foot-corrective member and pertains more particularly to an orthopedic support for treating metatarsalgia caused by unnatural distribution of the body weight over the plantar surface of the foot beneath the heads of the metatarsal bones.

One of the primary causes of foot ailments is due to improper distribution of the body weight over the plantar surface of the foot beneath the heads of the metatarsal bones. This condition frequently occurs because the first metatarsal bone of the foot is of insufficient length, considering the lengths of the other metatarsal bones of the foot, to allow it to support its normal proportion of the body weight. It has been found that when standing, one third of the body weight distributed over the plantar surface of the foot beneath the heads of the metatarsal bones is normally borne by the first metatarsal bone of the foot, the remaining two-thirds being equally distributed to the remaining four metatarsal bones, and that during the process of Walking, when the entire body weight of the individualis borne by the metatarsal bones of the foot as the heel is lifted from the ground, the first metatarsal bone supports one-half of the total body weight, the remaining portion of the body weight being equally distributed to the other four metatarsal bones of the foot. When the first metatarsal bone of the foot is shorterthan normal, considering the length of the other metatarsal bones, which condition frequently is accompanied by misplaced sesamoids, the body weight normally supported by the first metatarsal bone is largely, if not entirely, transferred or shifted to the second and third metatarsal bones, the greater portion of the shifted body weight being transferred to the second metatarsal bone. This condition of unnatural distribution of body weight to the metatarsal bones causes severe pain and discomfort and is normally accompanied by skin callus formed on the sole of the foot beneath the heads of the second and third metatarsal bones.

Among the objectives of this invention is the object of providing an orthopedic member adapted to allay metatarsalgia caused by improper distribution of body weight to the heads of the metatarsal bones of the foot resulting from the first metatarsal bone being shorter than normal considering the lengths of the other metatarsal bones of the foot. It is also an object of this invention to provide a foot-supporting member which may be comfortably worn for long periods of time and which may be employed as a separate member in conjunction with a boot or shoe or form a part of the structure there of. The objectives are accomplished by providing an orthopedic member having a raised portion extending beneath the mesocuneiform bone of the foot, the raised portion being designed to raise the second metatarsal bone, and to some extent the third metatarsal bone, from its normal depending position to allow the head of the first metatarsal bone to make proper contact with the ground during walking and when standing.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of this inventionthowever, it will be understood that the invention is notintended to be limited to the specific embodimentshown and described.

' In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a shoe containing a sup- 7 *relationship of the supporting member with the bones of the foot;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of-Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the corrective orthopedic member or foot-supporting member 10 is associated with a conventional shoe 11 comprising an upper member 12 of conventional construction and a sole member 13 0f conventional construction. ber 10 may be disposed as a separate removable structure over an insole of the shoe or it may form a permanent part of the structure of the shoe replacing or supplementing the conventional insole member normally employed in shoe constructions. It is preferable that foot-supporting member 10 be fabricated of a flexible resilient material, such as sponge rubber, to cushion the plantar nerves, muscles and ligaments against the impact occasioned thereto during walking, although relatively nonresilient materials such as cork, various kinds of leather, artifical leathery materials, impregnated fabrics and fibrous materials, and the like, may be used.

Foot corrective member 10 is formed as a unitary structure and underlies the plantar surface of the foot from the heel region to the region immediately behind the heads, 14 of the metatarsal bones 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the foot, as shown in Fig. 2. Member 10 is provided with an upwardly. extending supporting pad or element 20 which during use underlies the mesocuneiform bone 21 of the foot and elevates the mesocuneiform bone 21 and the second metatarsal bone 16, and to some walking and standing and to support its normal proportion of the body Weight.

Although good results are obtained when supporting pad 20 is formed to a rounded convex contour presenting an unbroken surface to the foot when worn, it is preferable that supporting element 20 have a generally flat elongated generally eliptical-shaped upper face 23, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, extending rearwardly to a region just forward of the sustentaculum tali, forwardly to a region located a distance forward of the articulation of the mesocuneiform bone 21 with the second metatarsal bone 16 about one-third the length of the second metatarsal bone 16, and transversely to regions immediately adjacent the mesocuneiform bone 21. The upper surface of member 10, as it extends away from upper face 23, recedes or is beveled, as shown by the shading in Fig. 2 and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, providing a marginal area of relatively thin thickness surrounding the raised portion 20, the beveling preferably extending rearwardly to an area immediately to the rear of the calcaneus bone 24, forwardly to an area immediately to the rear of the head of the second matatarsal bone 16, and transversely to an area just beyond the outermost face 25 of the cuboid bone 26 on the one side and to an area just beyond the outermost face 27 of the navicular bone 28 on the other side.

The thickness of the raised portion 20 should be sutfi- The foot-supporting memcient to elevate the mesocuneiform and second metatarsal bones the desired amount, i. e., an amount sufiioient to allow the head of the first metatarsal bone to make normal contact with the ground, a thickness from about /8 to inch usually being satisfactory. Preferably the thickness of the raised portion is greatest at the rearmost edge 29 of upper face 23 and gradually decreases in thickness as it extends forwardly to the foremost edge 30 of face 23.

Although the embodiment referred to above describes an orthopedic member having an arcuate foremost edge terminating immediately to the rear of the heads 14, 14 of the-metatarsal bones 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the foot, the device "may be contoured in the shape of the sole member of the shoe providing a full insole for the.

shoe underlying the entire plantar surface of the foot.

Supporting members within the purview of this invention may also be used for treating other foot ailments resulting from shifting of the body Weight from the first metatarsal bone to the second and third metartarsal bones, although the ailment is caused by disorders other than that mentioned above. For example, an ailment re.- sulting from laxness of the ligaments controlling the movement of the first metatarsal bone allowing the first metatarsal bone to be elevated above its normal position during use of the foot causing an excessive proportion of the body weight to be transferred to the second metatarsal bone may be treated with the orthopedic member described herein.

It is clear that obvious modifications and variations of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A foot-corrective member adapted to underlie the plantar surface of the foot, said foot-corrective member comprising an upwardly-extending supporting element having a flat upper face underlying the area of the plantar surface of the foot extending rearwardly to a region immediately forward of the sustentaculum tali of the foot, forwardly to a region located a distance forward of the articulation of the mesocuneiform bone of the foot with the second metatarsal bone of the foot about one-third the length of the second metatarsal bone of the foot, and transversely to regions immediately adjacent the transverse extremities of the mesocuneiform bone of the foot, said foot-corrective member having its apex at the rearmost edge of said upper face of said supporting element, said upper face of said supporting element sloping gradually downwardly as it extends forwardly from its said, rearmost edge, the upper surface of said foot-correc tive member receding from said upper face of said supporting element to a marginal area of relatively thin thickness surrounding said supporting element, said foot-corrective member causing elevation of the mesocuneiform and the ectocuneiform bones and the second and third metatarsal bones of the foot to a position above that which they occupy with respect to the other bones of the foot when the bones of the foot are in their normal articulated position to allow a greater proportion of the body weight to be borne by the first metatarsal bone of the foot.

2. A foot-corrective member adapted to underlie the plantar surface of the foot, said foot-corrective member comprising an upwardly-extending supporting element having a flat upper face underlying the area of the plantar surface of the foot extending rearwardly to a region immediately forward of the sustentaculum tali of the foot, forwardly to a region located a distance forward of the articulation of the mesocuneiform bone of the foot with 'the second metatarsal bone of the foot about one-third the length of the second metatarsal bone of the foot, and transversely to regions immediately adjacent the transverse extremities of the mesocuneiform bone of the foot, said foot-corrective member having its apex at the rearmost edge of said upper face 'of said supporting element, said upper face of said supporting element sloping gradually downwardly as it extends forwardly from its said rearmost edge, the upper surface of said foot-corrective, member receding from said upper face to a marcorrective'mernber causing elevation of the mesocuneiform and the ectocuneiform bones and, the second and third metatarsal bones of the foot to a position above that which they occupy with respect to the other bones of the foot when the bones of the foot are in their normal articulated position to allow a greater proportion of the body weight to be borne by the first metatarsal bone of the foot.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS 2,188,225 Lawandus Jan. 23, 1940 2,497,250 Whitman r r Feb. 14, 1950 Rapisarda Sept. 4, 1951 

